Zandvoort, Netherlands is host for the next Formula 1 GP that commences this weekend. With a dominant performance at Spa, will Red Bull be able to maintain their momentum heading to Zandvoort? Bookmaker William Hill has the latest odds.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: August 31st, 08:00 A.M. (EST)
The odds, as is to be expected given their recent form, are in favour of Red Bull and Max Verstappen with the driver being priced at 1.50 to capture this weekend’s race. Verstappen’s teammate, Checo Perez, although driving the same car, is priced at 11.00. This is not surprising considering Verstappen’s form in the past few races.
Analysts went so far as to argue that “not even Lewis Hamilton ‘destroyed’ teammates as Max Verstappen does”. Certainly there is some truth to that given that he has outperformed every single teammate since the start of his F1 career.
Next, we have Charles Leclerc in second place being priced at 5.50 even though Ferrari are clearly struggling and falling behind Red Bull as the recent fiasco from Spa has shown. Given their current performance, they are even at risk of losing 2nd place in the Constructors Championship to the Mercedes AMG F1 team.
The famous Zandvoort circuit first opened in 1948, same year as Silverstone, as the post-war motorsport mania swept across the world. Its first ever Grand Prix was held in 1952 with Alberto Ascari claiming victory and securing a Ferrari 1-2-3 finish.
The circuit itself is a 4.259 km long track featuring 72 laps and 14 high intensity corners. The current lap record belongs to the 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton with a staggering time of 1.11.097 set in 2021. Often described as either “crazy” or “intense”, Zandvoort is a proper challenge to any driver out there, no matter the experience.
What to expect?
Considering the results from Spa, one would assume Red Bull is set for another easy victory given their recent performance. However, we need to consider the track itself. Zandvoort, although a fast circuit, is very different from Spa Francorchamps and thus, requires a different car setup. A setup that may favour Ferrari and their F1-75 car.
Furthermore, we must not disregard the possibility of a Mercedes comeback as they had quite a decent race pace at Spa even though their qualifying performance left much to be desired. Zandvoort is a track where porpoising does not have as dramatic an effect as it does in Spa meaning Mercedes is set to benefit from this change.
Last but not least, we can expect another strong Alpine performance making a double points finish for them a real possibility. With Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon in form, Alpine can only look forward to Zandvoort and the challenges it may provide.
